Words Matter: Cover Letters & Resumes

I decided to do a part 2 that build on a previous post I did about resumes here. While this post has some overlap, I want to focus on the importance of words and word choices for this one. More specifically, how we write about and describe ourselves sets a tone about our valuation and expertise. One of my common comments to students when reviewing their cover letter is: don't write like you are a student. What do I mean by this? 

Obviously, for many of you reading this post, you might be a student, or someone who is entry level. You might feel as though you aren't qualified enough for the post, and are grateful to even submit. All of that might be true: but for many if not most of these cover letters, you are writing as you are a future colleague. Writing as a colleague means you aren't just in a place of "gratitude" or "passion" or "enthusiasm" (which again, can all be true). Writing as a colleague means you need to showcase your skills, your qualifications, and why you are already perfect for this job. 

To be clear, the importance of word choice matters both for cover letters regarding jobs and internships as well as for cover letters for academic positions like faculty and post-doc positions. (For tips about the academic job market, find my post here). 

Since I'm a visual learner, I decided to include the presentation I had created and shared with my students, which is part of their professional development sequence series. The slides include information about the difference between cover letters and resumes, key points about word choices, and a concrete example of what I mean when I say "don't write like a student." Good luck on the search process, which ever one(s) they may be!